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Ask the Intern Queen: Starting Salary At First Job

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7 years ago

Q: When you are first starting out and you land your first "real" job what is a reasonable salary requirement if they ask you? I have a solid background in internships and those, at most will be min. wage. I&m assuming you wouldn&t ask for min. wage so what is a pretty expected/reasonable amount?

A: When asking about salary requirements, it all depends on the industry standard. Each industry is different in terms of how much starting salary they pay their employees. If you have any professional contacts or old internship coordinators (in the same field) I would ask them their opinions on how much you should ask for. You always want to go a little bit higher than you think you will actually get so they settle on something you are happy with. You always want to make sure the amount you are asking for makes sense and again, complies with the industry standard. A great website for salary questions is GLASSDOOR. Check it out and see if they list information on your field or even the company you are interested in. Good luck. I&m glad you are asking instead of picking a number off the top of your head!